Funds will generate $3.2 million in marketing initiatives for 43 local tourism programs
RICHMOND, VA, 2016-Sep-23 — /Travel PR News/ — Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that $927,000 in matching grant funds will be awarded to 43 local tourism initiatives as part of Virginia Tourism Corporation’s (VTC) Marketing Leverage Program (MLP). The grants are designed to help local and regional tourism entities attract more visitors by leveraging local marketing dollars, and will ultimately impact at least 159 other statewide tourism entities.
Through the MLP, local organizations must match state grant funds by a minimum of two to one to support marketing projects in order to receive funding. This funding cycle, local partners will match VTC grant dollars with more than $2.3 million, providing more than $3.2 million in new marketing efforts to increase visitation to Virginia.
“The grants offered by the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s Marketing Leverage Program provide tourism businesses with a powerful funding resource to market themselves to travelers both across the United States and internationally,” said Governor McAuliffe. “These funds provide localities and businesses across the Commonwealth with the necessary resources to continue to attract visitors and increase demand for Virginia products in the global marketplace. We will continue to support and expand our tourism outreach to spur growth for our communities and small businesses as we build the new Virginia economy.”
VTC’s Marketing Leverage Program is designed to increase visitor spending by leveraging limited marketing dollars, stimulating new tourism marketing through partnerships, and extending the “Virginia is for Lovers” brand. A minimum of three Virginia entities must partner financially to apply for a grant. Partners may consist of Virginia cities, towns, counties, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, other local or regional destination marketing organizations, private businesses, museums, attractions, cultural events, and other tourism-related entities. In total, VTC awards approximately $1.9 million annually – matched and leveraged, on average, three to one by partner dollars.
“These grants are significant for the Virginia tourism industry, as more than 70 percent of tourism businesses have annual marketing budgets of less than $10,000,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore. “Every dollar invested in these grants resulted in $16 of direct visitor spending. Additionally, marketing campaigns receiving MLP grant funds increased visitation by 15 percent. This kind of effective marketing results in more travelers coming to Virginia to stay longer and spend more money, injecting critical dollars into our economy.”
Details on the grant awards are below:
| Tourism Initiative | Locality/Organization | Grant Award |
| 2016 Norfolk Festevents Marketing | Norfolk Festevents, Ltd. | $ 50,000 |
| A Bright New Day in Winchester | Winchester-Frederick County Tourism | $ 48,134 |
| A New Path To Jefferson: Developing a Tourism Friendly Website for Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest | Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest | $ 10,000 |
| Abingdon Arts in Profile | William King Museum of Art | $ 10,000 |
| America’s Historic Triangle Welcomes American Revolution Museum At Yorktown | Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc. | $ 50,000 |
| artoberVA 2016 | CultureWorks | $ 18,340.50 |
| Brand USA 2016 Program for China and the UK | Arlington Convention and Visitors Service | $ 14,907 |
| Clarke County Fall Studio Tour | Clarke County Economic Development and Tourism | $ 5,000 |
| Coastal Virginia Social Media Marketing Campaign | Coastal Virginia Tourism Alliance | $ 6,665 |
| Coastal Virginia: The Birthplace of American Cuisine | Professional Hospitality Resources, Inc. | $ 50,000 |
| Expanded Market Promotions for Mountains of Music Homecoming | The Crooked Road | $ 50,000 |
| Find it in Radford 2016 | Radford Visitor’s Center | $ 4,839 |
| From Freedom to Flowers: Bringing Visitors to Roanoke through the Art of Attraction | Taubman Museum of Art | $ 25,000 |
| Gather, Learn & Grow on Floyd’s Blue Ridge Plateau | Festival Farm Productions LLC – Chantilly Farm | $ 5,000 |
| Giles County Outdoor Destination Campaign | Giles County Tourism | $ 21,177 |
| GO St Paul! Gathering Opportunity | Saint Paul Tomorrow | $ 3,738.50 |
| Go to Town! Tourism Brand Launch Campaign | Montgomery County Regional Tourism Office | $ 15,000 |
| Halifax County African American Heritage & Cultural Trail | Halifax County Department of Tourism | $ 2,250 |
| Halifax County Restaurant Week | Town of South Boston | $ 2,000 |
| Historic Downtown Wytheville: Gateway to Adventure | Wytheville Convention & Visitors Bureau | $ 50,000 |
| Let The Heart of Appalachia Call You Home | Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority | $ 50,000 |
| Martinsville Speedway | Martinsville Speedway | $ 50,000 |
| Nottoway Visitor Packets | Downtown Blackstone, Inc. | $ 3,809 |
| Public Relations and Native Advertising Campaign 2 | Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau | $ 25,000 |
| PUSH! Film Festival Marketing Program | Believe in Bristol | $ 5,000 |
| Radio Bristol – Crooked Road Radio Program | Birthplace of Country Music | $ 10,000 |
| Richmond Region Outdoor Lifestyle Video | Richmond RegionTourism | $ 10,000 |
| Riverside Center is for Theater Lovers | Riverside Center for the Performing Arts | $ 10,000 |
| Roanoke Go Outside Festival | Roanoke Go Outside Festival | $ 6,750 |
| Seasonless Sensation: A Return to Abingdon | Barter Theatre | $ 10,000 |
| Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail | Staunton CVB | $ 50,000 |
| Shocktober Takes Over October | Paxton Campus | $ 10,000 |
| Southwest Virginia Craft Beer Marketing Initiative | Bristol Convention & Visitors Bureau | $ 10,000 |
| Southwest Virginia Wine Trail | Heartwood | $ 5,000 |
| StayVA.org Website | Bed & Breakfast Association of Virginia | $ 23,926 |
| Story Telling in Virginia’s Blue Ridge | Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge | $ 50,000 |
| Summers in Pulaski | Town of Pulaski | $ 3,750 |
| This Is Our Rush Hour: Shenandoah County Marketing Campaign | Shendandoah County | $ 50,000 |
| Virginia Capital Trail Video Marketing | Virginia Capital Trail Foundation | $ 10,000 |
| Virginia is for “Opera” Lovers: Fall in Love with Opera AND Virginia | Virginia Opera | $ 50,000 |
| Virginia Wine and Brine | Chatham Vineyards | $ 21,000 |
| Virginia’s Artisan and Oyster Trails – Responsive & Visible | Artisans Center of Virginia | $ 10,000 |
| Visit Mecklenburg Website Reimagining and Launch | Mecklenburg County Tourism Office | $ 10,500 |
The next round of VTC Marketing Leverage Program grants are now open and are due on November 30, 2016. Localities interested in applying may visit vatc.org for more information.
Tourism is an instant revenue generator for Virginia. In 2015, tourism generated $23 billion in revenue, supported 223,100 jobs and provided $1.6 billion in state and local taxes for the Commonwealth. Dollars invested in tourism are proven to provide a five to one return in tax revenue for Virginia, and grant awards and matching funds provide a stimulus to localities seeking to increase tourism visitation and revenue. For more information on the Virginia tourism industry, please visit virginia.org.
###
MEDIA CONTACTS
Caroline Logan
Director of Communications
804-545-5572
clogan@virginia.org
Danielle Emerson
Deputy Director of Communications
804-545-5576
demerson@virginia.org
Andrew Cothern
Communications Manager
804-545-5570
acothern@virginia.org
Jenna Eckel
Communications Coordinator
804-545-5573
jeckel@virginia.org
International Media
Christi Braginton
International Media Relations Manager
505-500-7396
cbraginton@virginia.org
SOURCE: Virginia Tourism Corporation